More of your customers are asking AI tools for recommendations instead of scrolling through search results. “Who’s a good roofer in Sumter?” “Best Mexican restaurant near me?” The answer they get is usually a short list of names. The question every local business owner should be asking is simple: am I on that list?
You can check for yourself in about fifteen minutes. Here’s how I do it for clients.
Step 1: Write down the questions your customers ask
Think about how a real customer would ask, in full sentences. Write five to ten questions, mixing general and specific:
- “Who is the best [your service] in [your town]?”
- “I need [a specific job] in [your town]. Who should I call?”
- “What [business type] near [a nearby town] is open on Saturday?”
- “Is [your business name] any good?”
Step 2: Ask more than one tool
Run your questions through ChatGPT, Google (look at the AI Overview at the top), Gemini, Perplexity and the voice assistant on your phone. Each pulls from different sources, so results can differ. Use a private browser window if you can, so your own search history doesn’t skew things.
Step 3: Write down what you see
For each question and tool, note whether your business was mentioned, which competitors were named and what details were given. Pay attention to whether your information is correct. An AI tool repeating old hours or a wrong phone number is a problem worth fixing even if you show up.
Step 4: Look at where the answers come from
Many AI tools show sources or links. Click them. You’ll often see Google Business Profiles, review sites, local directories, news articles and business websites. If your competitors show up and you don’t, those sources tell you where they’re getting their visibility.
What to do if you’re not showing up
- Complete your Google Business Profile. It’s one of the most-used sources for local answers. Our free setup guide covers every field.
- Answer real questions on your website. Clear service pages and FAQs give AI tools something to quote.
- Add local business schema. Our free schema generator creates it for you. I explain why it matters in what local business schema is.
- Keep your details consistent across every listing. See where to list your business online.
- Earn detailed reviews. Reviews that mention the service and the town give AI tools more to work with.
For the full picture, read my guide on AI search SEO for local businesses.
Check again every few months
AI answers change as the tools update and as new information appears. Save your list of questions and run them again every quarter. It’s a simple way to track whether your work is paying off.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay to show up in ChatGPT answers?
Not in the regular recommendations. You earn a spot by having clear, consistent and trusted information about your business across the web.
Why does ChatGPT give a different answer each time?
AI tools generate answers fresh each time and may pull from different sources. That’s why it’s worth asking the same question a few times and across a few tools.
What if an AI tool has wrong information about my business?
Fix it at the source. Update your Google Business Profile, your website and your listings. Over time, the tools pick up the corrected details.
Is AI search optimization different from SEO?
It builds on the same foundation. Our AI search optimization service covers the extra steps that help you get recommended, along with traditional SEO in Sumter.
Want us to run this check for you? Request a free audit, or explore our free tools to start on your own.